A 15-year-old girl and five others have been hospitalized after eating chocolate laced with THC and mushrooms.
The patients suffered seizures, the FDA said, after which the patients were intubated and ventilated in intensive care units.
They had all consumed at least one piece of a Diamond Shruumz chocolate bar, which contained THC and a “proprietary blend” of mushrooms “with a kick.”
These mushrooms do not contain psilocybin, which is federally illegal in the US, but do contain other active compounds linked to improved mood and well-being.
People have been hospitalized after eating ‘microdosing’ chocolate bars called Diamond Shruumz (pictured). People are warned not to eat them
It’s not clear what causes the disease, but there are indications that the mushrooms may contain mycotoxins – chemicals produced when mushrooms begin to die – which can trigger seizures.
The FDA urged people not to consume the bars – which are sold nationwide – and told stores to pull them from shelves.
Steve Dudley, the director of the Arizona Poison Centers – where most of the illnesses have been reported – said: ‘Although these products claim to contain only natural ingredients and no scheduled drugs, there is clearly something toxic going on.
‘We have seen the same phenomenon: people who eat the chocolate bar, then have a seizure, lose consciousness and have to be intubated.
‘We urge the public to exercise extreme caution due to the very serious effects of these products.’
A total of eight diseases have been reported in four states so far, the last of which was on June 3. No deaths have been recorded.
Half of the illnesses occurred in Arizona, two in Indiana and one each in Nevada and Pennsylvania.
The bars are typically sold online or in pot shops and cost $25 each.
They are intended for microdosing, or the action of taking very small amounts of a drug to test or benefit from physiological actions while minimizing risks.
California-based Diamond Shruumz has thousands of followers on social media – where it posts videos of young people trying the products before feeling the effects.
Diamond Shruumz is marketed as a microdosing chocolate bar
Among those who fell ill was the daughter of Arizona resident Tina Griffin, who revealed her family’s trauma online.
She wrote: ‘Yesterday my 15 year old daughter and her 16 year old cousin ate these diamond shruumz microdosing chocolate bars (not real psilocybin) and ended up on a ventilator and are currently in the ICU at Children’s Hospital.
‘I don’t want other parents to have to go through this nightmare.
“The night before they overdosed, more overdoses came in.
“So far everyone has survived, but they don’t even know what caused it, so there is no antidote.”
Her daughter, who was not named, has now been taken off life support and released from hospital – and her condition is said to be improving.
The FDA is particularly concerned about the bars because it says their bright packaging could appeal to children.
In a warning, the agency said: ‘Parents and caregivers should consider discussing the information in this advisory with their children, and take extra care to avoid this product being consumed by younger people.’
Diamond Shruumz chocolate bars are available in six flavors, including cinnamon, cookies and cream, and cookie butter.
The company also sells a variety of other “microdosing” treats, including gummies and cones packed with a combination of sugar, THC and mushrooms.
For the chocolate bars, it says that consuming just one or two slices can cause a ‘trip’ – with users advised to wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating any more.
It is said that eating nine pieces or more can cause a person to reach a euphoric and relaxed state.
Mushrooms in the bars include lion’s mane, which have been linked to antidepressant effects, as well as Reishi and Chaga mushrooms, which some say can help improve mood.
None of the mushrooms contain psilocybin, the hallucinogen present in magic mushrooms.
DailyMail.com has contacted Diamond Shruumz for comment.